Tribune Opinion: We’ll miss former city council member; Windsor school offers something to be Seen

Abigail Anne Seen plays the Tongalo, a unique instrument played in her home country of the Philippines while in her classroom Thursday at Skyview School of Stem in Windsor. Seen hopes to share some of the music from her home in class over the coming school year.

JIM RYDBOM/jrydbom@greeleytribune.com
Greeley City Council member Donna Sapienza works on a drawing while at her Greeley home this week. Sapienza, who is a accomplished artist, will not run for city council again due to health reasons.

Many who worked with Sapienza during her time at the city say she treated them like family, taking the time to hand-sew quilts for their grandkids and meeting with department heads in her “office” at the 11th Avenue Starbucks, where she knew many people by name.

Sapienza also was an artist, dabbling in quilt work and pastels and producing prolific work in colored pencil, much of which depicted historic buildings from her previous home in Massachusetts and in downtown Greeley.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 and elected to the Greeley City Council three years later. She announced last year she would not run for re-election after her cancer returned.

“She was a teacher and a student of life. She helped all of us understand life through that filter,” Safarik said.

We’re among the many who will miss her.

Windsor school offers something to be Seen

Sending 21 fifth-graders across the globe for a history lesson would be cool, but most likely unrealistic. The next best thing would be bringing their teacher, who grew up more than halfway across the world, to Weld County to share her culture and experiences.

That’s exactly what’s happening at Skyview School of STEM in Windsor and one of its teachers, Abigail Anne Seen. After moving to the United States from the Philippines, Seen has now settled in Windsor and will bring an array of international experiences and culture into her classroom.

From the Philippines’ official language Tagalog to the unique instrument Tongalo, we’re sure our kids will have plenty to learn from Seen. It’s an invaluable opportunity our students should be eager to take advantage of, and we’re excited they’ll be exposed to culture not seen every day along Windsor’s Main Street.

Keenesburg kids make best of a bad situation

When Shawn Kilker and his 14-year-old son were found dead in their Keenesburg home after a lengthy standoff with police earlier this month, it was clear tragedy had struck.

Weld County sheriff’s deputies say Kilker, who was wanted in connection with a kidnapping, killed his son and took his own life.

While it’s not easy to find much good in this heartbreaking story, the way a group of 10 Keenesburg 4-H kids responded, offers real inspiration.

At the South East Weld County Fair on Saturday, the 10 kids, many of whom knew Keith Kilker, 14, voluntarily donated a portion of their proceeds from the sale of their project animals to the Kilker family, according to a story by Tribune media partner 7NEWS. They raised $7,200.

Payton Bellm and her family were among those who decided to sell a hog at the fair and donated all of the proceeds to the Kilker family. Payton raised a Hampshire Cross Hog in Brighton that weighed in at 217 pounds. She said her connection with Keith motivated her to do it.

“Me and him were like brother and sister, we had a lot of good memories together, and we had a whole bunch of fun together,” she told 7NEWS.

We’re proud of the way these kids responded to tragedy. We’re sure their efforts will make a difference for the Kilker family during this difficult time.